Improvement in permutation-locks



PETERS, PHOTO LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON.

diana sans 'aient' @titille FRANCESE. ISHAM, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ADMINISTRATRIX OF THE ESTATE OF HENRY ISIIAM, DECEASED.

Letters Patent No. 98,972, dated January 18, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IIAN` PERMUTATIN-LOCKS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and 'making part of the same.-

To all whomit may concern Be it known that HENRY IsHAM, deceased, of New Britain, in the county of Hartford, and State of Connecticut, did invent certain new and useful Improvements in Looks for Banks and-Safes; and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawy -now known and practised, is etcctually prevented.

It is not necessary to fully explain here the systems and processes by which locks ot' the character o1' class to which this invention relates have been picked; but it may be remarked, that one of the chief points in such systems and processes has been the exact knowledge of the different tumblers, and their positions, andof true and false notches, acquired by thepicker by forcing the stump of the -bolt back against the tumblers, and noting theindex, indicating the degree of resistance offered, of an instrument used by the picker to designate, by the different degrees/of pressure, the positions ofthe tumblers.

By means of this invention, any indication, by any insrument, of the positions of the tumblers is avoided; an

This invention consists in actuating the latch, by means of a travelling spring or weight, moving back and forth over the axis of motion ot' said gate, and connected to the sliding bolt, as will be presently more fuliy explained.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use the improved lock, made the subject of this application, it will now be more fully described by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l isa back view ofthe lock.

Figure 2 isa cross-section at :v x, tig. 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation at y y, fig. 2, showj ing the bolt drawn in, and

Figure 4 is a similar view with bolt out.

Figure 5 is a detail face view of the latch, and

Figure 6 is a bottom View of same.

Figure 7 is a face view of one of the tumblers detached, and

FigureS is a section of same at x at.

Figure 9 is a side view ofbolt detached;

Figure 10 is a side view of one of the plates arranged between the tumblers;

Figure 11 is anedge view ofthe same; and

Figure 12 is a. view of the key, used to set the tumbler-rims ou their centres in changing the combination ofthe lock.

In the several figures, the same part will be founpi designated by the same letter ofrefereuce;

A is the key-shaft, and B, the knob or handle, by meausof which it is turned. This key-shaft, as usual,

extends -into the case E of the lock, and is provided with two circular disks, one of which, fi, has teeth cut y in its periphery, and forms agear or spur-pinion, and

the other, k, is left plain, as seen at fig. 2.

The key-shaft A is capable of both a rotary and limited loi'lgitudinal motion in its bearings. Then pushed or moved longitudinally inward, its rotation will affect only the tumblers c d e of the lock, for the purpose of setting them, as will he presently explained, and when pulled outward, its rotation will aieot only -the bolt H, which is then driven, through the medium of its rack l and the pinion 'i oi' said key-shaft A a.

The bolt H is arranged to move iu guides or bearings i'ormed in the rim E, and at J, in about the usual manner, and it is slotted out at I, to permit it to straddle and work freely around the stud or shaft p of the latch G, which ext-ends outward from thev inner face of' frame E, as clearly shown.

The bolt H carries a. stump or projecting lug, w, which comes against the end of gate G, as and for purposes to be presently explained, and has attached to it aspring-stand or holder, x, from which projects a spring, t, designed to actuate the gate G at the proper times, during the sliding motions of the bolt, and throw it into and draw it out of the gates or slots r of the tumblers c d c.

In the plain portion m of the bolt H, at the lower edge, are cut two segmentary-shaped cavities or depressions, (see iig 9,) into one of which the disk k is moved, when the holt is shot out for the purpose, holding it out, and into the other of which, it is moved when the bolt is drawn in, to hold it in.

The tumblers proper, alluded to as c d e, are each composed of two pieces, viz, rim-portions ed e, and centres f g 7L. The centres are simple disks, which are hung to turn freely iu either direction on the smaller portion a of the key-shafuand which have 'their peripheries grooved out, as clearly seen at figs.

2 and S, and the rims c d e are simple, fiat, split rings, which are sprung over, and adapted to it into the gi'ooved peripheries of the said centres.

In each of the rims, a gate or opening is cut, as seen at o', rg. 7, for the accommodation of a key or flattened rod, such as shown at 2, tig. l2, which is employed to spring open the rim, so that it may be turned on its centre for adjustment, as will be presently explained moreJ fully.

The tumblers are arranged with plates s s between them, to keep them apart on the key-shaft the proper distance, and they are held on by a conlining-plate, j, which is bolted to proper seats formed in the body ot' the lock, as clearly seen, and which has a hole eut in it at 3,1, to permit the introduction to the split rims c l e, ofthe key z2. The back plate of the lock also has a hole through it, at yt, for the same purpose.

'llxe'latch G is slotted out, as shown at iig. G, and has arranged within it, and so as to turn on its stud p, a catch-bar, 0. This bar o is so made and arranged that it will receive and act as an abutment to the stump w, while the end r of the gate G is free to vibrate or move up and down around tbe axis-stud p. The extent of play, however, permitted to the bar o is solitt-le that it will rise with the end of latch G, at the proper time to allow the passage back of the stump u', when the bolt is drawn hack to unlock.

On the centre f, of tumbler 0is a projecting pin, 7, against which the lug G on shaft a strikes, when said shaft is pushed in to' operate the tumblers.

On centre g are two lugs 4 4, between which the pin or arm of shaft a catches,` and on centre 'n is a lug, 3, which comes in contact with the pins 1 2, projecting from the toothed disk t, and by means of these said pins and projections ou the shaft n., and the centres f g h, tlle tumblers are rotated and set by the key-shaft, so that their gates or slots r all come in line, to permit the dropping into them of the latch G. This adjustment of the tumblers is, of course, aii'ected by noticing the index at b and c, and forming the given combination in about the usual manner.

It will be observed that there is a space left between the disk 7s and the pinion 1', equal in width to the thickness of the plain or untoothed portion m (see fig. 2) ofthe bolt, the object and effect of which peculiar'- ity of construction are the passage of the portion on. between vl and 7.', the moment the bolt begins to move, and the prevention of any end play to shaft a u., and consequently the avoidance of any disturbance of the set tumblers, and the retention of the rack l and pinioni in perfect gear.

1t will be seen, that when the bolt I-I is'out, as vseen at g.` 4, (and the parts in the relative positions therein shown,) if it be forced backward, (or into the lock partially,) the stump w will come againstI the shoulder of catch or stop-bar o, and that this bar o, taking its abutment against the stud p, on which it is hung, and being free to move slightly independent-ly of catch G, the latter will not be pressed at all upon the tumblers, or, in other words, there will be 11o-.different effeet on the bolt, or any pressure-indicator attached to it, by reason of the lat-eh G resting on one or more or Qliiierent-sized tumblers, because the dead-lockwill be between the Xed stud p and the bolt H, through the medium of the bar o, and the latch G will always play independently of thesel parts, so that it cannot be made amedium for testing pressure or discovering the position of the tumblers.

The manipulation of the tumblers, to set them by the key-shaft, is made according to the known combination of lmovement-s from the index, with thel keyshaft pushed in, in the usual manner, and whenever it is desired to change the operation or combination, any one or more of the tumbler-rims c d e may be turned on its contre, so as to change the relative position of its gate r to the lugs 1, 2, and c, and pins on the centres and keyshaf`t, by means of the key z, inserted from the back of the lock, tospring open and hold-the rim, while its centre is turned around within it by means of the key-shaft.

lt is known that a latch hung on a fixed` centre, and actuated by the'bolt, has been before combined with a bolt and a series of tumblers. This combination, therefore., is not claimed, except as below stated; but

What is claimed as new, and desired to be secured` by LettersPat'ent, is-

1. The dogor latch, when operated by a shifting pressure, proceeding from the bolt, and operating alternately ou different sides of the. fulcrum of the latch, substantially as set forth.

2. The employment, in combination with the' bolt H and a series of tumblers, of arlatch, G, or its equivalent, hung on a tixed centre, and actuated from ,the bolt, in the manner above claimed.y

In testimony where-of, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this 23d day of November, 1869.

FRANCES E. ISHAM, '[L. s.] Admx. of Estate of Henry Islaam, Deceased. Witnesses:

H. K. W. WELCH, H. T. TERRY. 

